The present invention relates generally to spacecraft, and more particularly, to multi-directional loop heat pipe thermal systems for use on a spacecraft.
The assignee of the present invention manufactures and deploys spacecraft containing communication equipment that orbit the earth. Heretofore, fixed conductance heat pipes have been used to transport heat from internal equipment panels to external radiator panels. Such fixed conductance heat pipes are disclosed in French Patent 2,463,058, for example. Aft deployable thermal radiators using loop heat pipes are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/54396, filed Sep. 16, 1998, assigned to the assignee of the present invention. However, multi-directional loop heat pipes have not heretofore been used to provide cooling between internal equipment panels and external radiator panels.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have improved multi-directional loop heat pipe thermal systems for use on a spacecraft.
The present invention provides for multi-directional loop heat pipe thermal systems for use on a spacecraft. The multi-directional loop heat pipe thermal systems may take the form of a reversible or parallel loop heat pipe cooling system that provide efficient thermal pathways that are directionally independent between any combination of spacecraft equipment mounting panels and radiator panels. The reversible or parallel loop heat pipes may be routed to a multiple number of radiator panels in order to optimize the use of a radiator panel by always transporting heat to the coolest radiator panel.
Advantages of the present invention over known prior art include the following. The multi-directional reversible or parallel loop heat pipes have a much higher heat transport capability than fixed conductance heat pipes. The multi-directional reversible or parallel loop heat pipes are not directionally dependent and can transport heat in either direction. The multi-directional reversible or parallel loop heat pipes are flexible and easily routed. The multi-directional reversible or parallel loop heat pipes may be routed to multiple radiator panels in order to optimize heat sharing between radiator panels.